Community Data Concept Gains Credibility on the Farm

Community data is a tool farmers can use to improve their management decisions and agronomic practices, according to Terry Griffin, precision farming economist with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture. While the concept, also referred to as pooled data, has been around for more than a decade, Griffin says it is now gaining traction and mainstream use among farmers.

He says when information is gathered from multiple farms and analyzed—university Extension test plot data, for instance--the resulting, compiled information is of more value to the farmers who use it for decision-making purposes.

Likewise, he notes: “Information that a farmer keeps to himself has finite benefits and only for that one farmer.”

In the following video, Griffin provides some insights on pooled data as well as instruction on how to start gathering and using it.